Fog Shuts Down Houston Ship Channel

The entire 53-mile (85.3-kilometer) waterway to the busiest U.S. petrochemical port has been shut since 6 p.m. CST Monday, but the northern portion to the port of Houston was shut shortly after 1 p.m.

Portions of the ship channel had been closed Monday morning, only completely reopening at 10:35 a.m..

Vessel traffic is halted on the ship channel when it becomes unsafe to navigate the waterway that supplies crude oil to refineries in Houston and Texas City, Texas, which account for 11.8 percent of U.S. refining capacity.